


Healing with Time

by Gia_Sesshoumaru



Category: Half Life Trilogy - Sally Green
Genre: Brief Sex, Fix-It, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Mild Language, Romance, Smut, Spoilers for Half Lost, Wordcount: Over 10.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-05
Updated: 2016-09-10
Packaged: 2018-05-31 08:50:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6463690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gia_Sesshoumaru/pseuds/Gia_Sesshoumaru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fix-it for the end of Half Lost. Yes, we all know *that* scene, and the ones that followed. This is my way of dealing with the pain that book caused.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Rating is probably a bit unnecessary, but rated it for safety anyway. This was written in a few hours. Cross-posted on Fanfiction.Net under Gilana1. Thanks to persephone_garnata for the beta!

Jessica’s face turned back into her own, and she lay still. She was burning from the lightning that he’d sent towards her. _She won’t be getting back up again,_ Nathan thought, relieved. Adele got up; she would be okay. It was all over now. Well, perhaps not entirely, but he had killed those who needed to die - Soul, Jessica, and Wallend.

“Nathan.” He heard Gabriel’s voice from behind him.

Nathan turned around. He realized that he hadn’t protected him at all. The bullets that Jessica had shot had ricocheted off him and hit Gabriel in the chest. He called for Arran again, knowing how panicked he must sound. “You’ll be okay; you’ll be fine.” He grabbed Gabriel’s hand, but the other man wasn’t squeezing back. He screamed again for Arran. “Arran will be here any second. Just heal. You’ll be okay.”

“I can’t…” Gabriel muttered.

Nathan shook his head. His mind couldn’t  process this. After everything they’d been through, it couldn’t end like this! “I can’t lose you,” he told him. “I love you. I can’t live without you, you know that!” His eyes still had flecks of gold in them, but they were spinning slowly. Nathan screamed for Arran again, and his brother finally arrived. “Please, you have to -” Gabriel’s chest was sopping with blood, and that couldn’t  be good.

Arran knelt beside him. “I have to get the bullets out,” he said and got to work.

“Stay with me,” Nathan told  Gabriel. “It won’t be long. You’ll be okay. Don’t you dare fucking die on me! Don’t you _fucking dare!_ ” He couldn’t  even fathom a world without Gabriel in it. And his vision! He’d seen them together. It couldn’t end like this, it just couldn’t.

Arran was saying that he can’t find the bullet and that there’s another one after that.

And it then it hit him.

Nathan knew that he needed to stop them. He needed to stop it, and then Arran could save Gabriel. The gold flecks in Gabriel’s eyes were slowing, and he was beginning to fade. He was barely reacting to the cuts that Arran was making, and he’d _already_ been weak when he’d found him. _No, he’ll live, he_ has to, Nathan thought.

Nathan rubbed his hands together and thought of stillness. Nothing happened, and panic started to set in. If he couldn’t stop him and Arran, then Gabriel would die. He concentrated harder, and tried again, thinking that he _needed_ to make him and Arran stop so that his brother could save Gabriel. Then it happened. Time stopped, but Arran stopped, too. Nononononono, it couldn't be like this. How did he stop Arran from freezing, too? There had to be a way.

Nathan reached out, and grabbed Arran’s arm, concentrating on bringing him into his frozen time. Suddenly, Arran started to speak, halfway through saying something about needing to find the last two bullets. Panic set in again, and he thought he’d failed until he saw that Gabriel was still frozen, but no, he wasn’t dead. It had worked! He had brought Arran into his frozen time with him.

“Wait, what…” Arran seemed to know that something was different. “Nathan, what happened? What did you -”

“I stopped time,” Nathan said, knowing that he sounded choked up and that tears were staining his face. “I thought I couldn’t bring you in, but I did, and it worked. Please save him, please. You have to -”

Arran stopped him. “I know. I’ll do everything I can. You know that. Now let me work.” Arran turned back to the frozen Gabriel and began to search for the bullet.

Nathan leaned forward to Gabriel, even though he knew that while time was frozen, he couldn’t hear him. “Please, I need you, I love you,” he told him. “Don’t leave me.”

“Found it!” Arran exclaimed. “I think there’s one more.”

Nathan just bent over Gabriel, squeezing his hand, his body still frozen. “I can’t keep this up much longer, Arran,” he said, a desperate note entering his voice. Tears were streaming down his face.

“I know, just one more second… got it!” Arran exclaimed and then Nathan couldn’t hang on anymore, and time started moving again.

Nathan kissed Gabriel. “The bullets are out. Just heal, please.” Gabriel was silent, but the gold flecks in his eyes were still there. They were slow, and slowing by the second. “Arran, he’s lost too much blood! He’s too weak!”

“He’ll heal, but he’s weak right now,” Arran said. “He needs time -”

Nathan cut him off. He loved Arran, but he really didn’t give a fuck right now. Arran was being as gentle as possible, he always was. Nothing mattered except Gabriel. Arran took a potion out of a medical kit he had, and slowly slipped the potion down Gabriel’s throat. Slowly, the blood on his chest stopped coming, and his external wounds healed. Everything was internal now.

Nathan put his hands on both sides of Gabriel’s face. “Look at me. Fucking look at me, damn it!” Arran tried to say something but then decided against it. Gabriel’s eyes slowly found his again. “Fucking heal, please. Just concentrate.” He started repeating the word. He had no way of knowing if Gabriel was listening or not. He kept repeating “heal” to Gabriel, hoping that it would work, that something would work, anything… what else was he supposed to do? How was he expected to go on after this, without him? In between repetitions of the word ‘heal’, he said, “I love you. I need you.”

Gabriel’s eyes slowly closed, and panic went through him. He saw a hand, much paler than his, go to Gabriel’s though. “He’s alive, but barely. He needs time to heal,” said Arran.

At that moment, Celia came up the stairs, a couple of others behind her. They were apparently coming to check on things. Nathan wouldn’t have known it was her, except she asked what was going on. Arran explained that Gabriel had been shot by Jessica before Nathan had killed her. He had managed to get the bullets out, but that he was weak. “Get him out of here,” Celia ordered.

Arran shook his head. “Moving him is dangerous. He’s too weak right now.”

“Staying here isn’t likely to be any better,” she said. “I already gave orders to begin evacuating the injured. Everyone that is still well enough to fight is helping to clean this place out. Nathan -” Celia froze, as if she was going to say something, but then changed her mind. “You and Arran get Gabriel out of here. Are you hurt?”

Nathan shook his head, but the only thing he was thinking of was that he couldn’t die. He couldn’t lose Gabriel.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Nathan wasn’t sure how they got Gabriel to the camp. Celia had ordered everyone who was injured to camp now that the battle was over. He brought Gabriel to his tent, and then Arran squeezed his shoulder. “I’ll be back soon, I promise,” he said. Nathan just looked down at Gabriel’s weak body, still covered in blood. He had to live, he just had to.

True to his word, Arran returned soon, and helped him clean Gabriel up, and dress the wounds. The bleeding was finally slowing a bit, but he had lost so much blood. “There’s a potion that will help with the blood loss, but it’ll take time.”

“He doesn’t fucking have it,” Nathan said, that panicked note to his voice again.

“Nathan, the bullets are out. I’ll get the potion to you as soon as I can, but keep talking to him,” Arran said. “I’ve heard that helps.” With that, Arran left, promising again to be back. He was gone a bit longer this time, but he did come back with the potion he had promised. They force-fed it to Gabriel who was still unconscious. Arran left again, to tend to other wounded that had come back to camp.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Nathan wasn’t sure long they stayed like that. He knew at some point that he had taken Gabriel in his arms. He just lay there with him, on the floor. At some point, his crying stopped. He knew over the next few days or so that Arran had come to check on him, and Gabriel. He said the healing was going well, but Nathan couldn't see how. He would constantly whisper to Gabriel that he loved him, to heal. Arran told him to sleep and take a break, but when Nathan refused to move, his brother left.

It was a few more days after that before Gabriel moved. He moaned a bit, and his eyes slowly started fluttering open. Every move looked like it pained him. “Don’t move,” Nathan said. “Just heal.”

“Hurts…” Gabriel said, his voice weak. “What -”

“Shh, don’t talk,” Nathan told him. “Just heal.” Gabriel nodded weakly and passed out again.

He woke up a couple of days later, groaning. “Nathan…” He muttered.

“I’m here,” he said, tightening his grip on the older boy.

“What… happened…”

“Jessica, she shot at me, but… the bullets ricocheted off me, and hit you,” Nathan said, and it was only then that he realized that it was _his_ fault. He should have seen that, but he had never been the smart one. “I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault. I should have moved you of the way, or…” But that didn’t make sense, either, because Jessica would have hit Gabriel on purpose if he had done that. After all, she had _seen_ that he was protecting him. What could he have done to save him, to prevent this?

Gabriel was shaking his head. “Nothing… to be sorry… for…”

“Stop talking,” Nathan told him. “I can talk if you want.” Gabriel nodded. He started talking about what had happened, how he had stopped time, and then brought Arran into the fold, so to speak. It had been long enough to get the bullets out. He admitted he wasn’t sure how long it had been.

Gabriel was silent until he said one word, “Blood?” It was a question, and then Nathan realized that he was still covered in Gabriel’s blood from that night.

“I’m fine,” Nathan said. “It’s… yours. I haven’t left. I just…” He couldn’t, just like when he had been shot. Gabriel had been there. “I’m fine. Just heal. Go back to sleep.” Gabriel nodded and drifted off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gabriel slept a lot over the next week, but he started eating soups and drinking. He had no energy. Arran explained this was normal, and it would take time for him to recover.  Nathan did get changed, since he realized it probably wasn’t good to be lying around in blood-stained clothes. He tried to eat, too, but it was hard to leave Gabriel for any length of time. Nathan was afraid if he left, Gabriel would slip off, and he’d never… he couldn’t deal with that. He knew he couldn’t.

Nathan just slept there, with him, every night. He would grab Gabriel in his arms, and hold him tightly. Every time Gabriel held him back or squeezed his hand back, it just made him feel better. He had never been much of a one for hope, but after nearly losing Gabriel, it was everything that he needed. It proved that Gabriel was still with him, and right now, that was all needed.

Arran came by, just to check up on them, making sure they were okay. Gabriel was healing, but the process was slow.  He was going to live, but it would be a while before he was well enough for travel. Right now, all Gabriel needed was rest. The camp was supposed to be temporary, and most everyone had left. Gabriel still couldn’t travel long distances, and Nathan was fine with both of them alone. That was how things were supposed to be. They were better that way.

Ledger came by, too, to let him know that he’d destroyed the bottle. Nathan was no longer invincible. He was okay with that. He had what he needed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nathan and Gabriel were lying in the tent. He hated leaving Gabriel alone because he was too weak to fend for himself right now. He always left a gun there, just in case someone should come along. Everything was supposed to be better, now, but Nathan wasn’t sure about that. Gabriel started to stay awake more and more, wanting to do more for himself day after day.

“Take me to Wales,” Gabriel said one night. They were cuddling by a fire that he had made outside of their tent in which they were living now.

“When you’re better,” Nathan said.

“I want to see it.”

“But you’re too -”

“I’m better now,” Gabriel said. “I’m getting stronger every day, and I think I’ll feel better when I’m not in this camp. It’s not even a camp anymore. I like it when it’s just the two of us, but I want to go somewhere else, somewhere more permanent. You always said you would take me there.” Nathan was afraid to answer, because while he knew that Gabriel wasn’t going to go anywhere, he still pictured Gabriel’s bloody body, as he was dying and fading in front of him in the Council Tower.

The next thing Nathan knew, there was a pair of soft lips on his neck. He looked down and saw Gabriel kissing his neck. The next thing he knew, Gabriel was kissing his lips. They hadn’t kissed since… well, since before the battle. It felt good, very good. He knew that he wasn’t ready for any of _that_ yet, but it felt good to know that things were finally getting better.

Gabriel broke the kiss, smiling up at him. “You’ve been thinking too much, and I never thought I’d say that about _you._ ”

Nathan couldn’t help it, but it felt good to hear Gabriel well enough to joke around again. “Fuck you.”

“Later, I’m not quite up for _that_ yet,” Gabriel said, leaning into him. Nathan chuckled in spite of it all.

“The war is over, Nathan. I survived. You survived. Let’s go away, like we always talked about.”

Nathan nodded. “Okay, we’ll go,” he told him.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Nathan made sure Arran came with them for the travel, just in case. They were using a cut, but Nathan was worried that Gabriel still wasn’t well enough for it though he insisted that he was. As soon as they got there, he saw that he had been right, at least in part. Gabriel’s strength started to fade, but he insisted he was fine. He just needed time to gain his strength back, and not moving wasn’t going to help. Nathan didn’t want him to hurt himself anymore, but Arran agreed with Gabriel, saying that it would help him gain his strength back if he slowly started to move around. He needed to take it easy.

This wasn’t where Nathan wanted to be, where he wanted for _them_ to be, but he wanted Gabriel to work up to it. He remembered the vision - the two of them, together, by the river. He wanted to go there, and they would. In time.

Gabriel was doing better. He started to help around the camp more. They began kissing more. Nathan desperately wanted to do more, and he knew that Gabriel did, too. He could tell by the way he kissed, each kiss getting more and more desperate. His hands would roam. Gabriel’s strength was coming back, but he still needed frequent breaks and rest.

~~~~~~~~~~

It was another few weeks before they made it to the spot. Gabriel looked like he was feeling a lot better over the past couple of days, and that made Nathan happier than he could ever imagine. For a bit there, at first, he wasn’t sure Gabriel would ever recover. He knew he had been hovering a lot over the past… what, had it been months? At least two, he was sure of that. He couldn’t be entirely certain. The passage of time just didn’t seem important. The only thing that mattered was that Gabriel was okay, that he got better.

“This is beautiful,” Gabriel said. There was a lake, the one he had told mentioned to Gabriel. There was a cliff and a rock face that overlooked the lake. “Imagine how much climbing we could do here. This is great.”

“I thought you’d like it.” They spent the rest of the day getting the area ready. He, of course, had been writing Arran frequently so that his brother - and anyone else who cared - knew where they were. Gabriel, of course, had been doing most of the writing. Nathan still couldn’t write well enough for a letter, and probably never would. That afternoon, when they had finished, they were laying by the fire, cuddling. All of a sudden, Gabriel stood, and stretched. Nathan was a little annoyed because it had been nice just to sit there by the fire together. Now that he didn’t have to worry about Gabriel slipping away, there was no war… Things could be good now, he supposed.

“I think I feel like a swim,” Gabriel said.

“Where the fuck did that came from?” Nathan asked, the annoyance evident in his voice.

Gabriel leaned down and gave him a slow, lingering kiss on the lips. “Do you have to swear all the time?”

“Go fuck yourself.”

Gabriel just smirked. “No, I had another idea,” he said, taking off his shirt. The scars were still there, but they always would be. Nathan, for the first time in a while, wasn’t noticing the scars or thinking about how weak Gabriel had been. All he was thinking about was that Gabriel was standing there, shirtless. Nathan wanted to pull him down, to touch that smooth skin of his, to kiss him… “If you want to know more, you’re going to have to find out.”

With that, Gabriel turned and walked towards the beach, slowly stripping, until he jumped into the water, naked. Nathan wasn’t sure what kept him there, but then he quickly jumped off, awkwardly removing his own clothes and then running into the lake. Gabriel was smirking at him. “I thought you’d never join me. What took you so long?” He moved over, pressing their bodies up against each other, and kissed him deeply.

Nathan wrapped his arms tightly around Gabriel and kissed him back with as much passion as he could muster. It felt as if they hadn’t been together in months despite the fact that they were together all the time. He was finally beginning to realize that he didn’t have to worry about Gabriel anymore. He wasn’t going to slip suddenly away, or get re-injured. He hadn’t died from Jessica’s bullets that night.

Nathan wasn’t sure how they made it back to the tent, but at some point, they did. He made to push Gabriel down on his back, but his lover wouldn’t have any of it. He pushed Nathan down instead, and Nathan moaned as Gabriel’s mouth, and hands did delicious things, making him harder than he ever thought he could be. Gabriel took care of that, and they made love together for the first time in a long time. It was even sweeter knowing that they had both survived.

~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, Gabriel smiled up at him. “Sleep well?” Nathan shrugged. Yeah, he had slept better, better than in a long while. “I know you’ve had bad dreams lately.”

“That’s an excellent way to fall asleep,” Nathan said. Gabriel chuckled. “And no, no dreams last night.”

“Are you going to tell me what they’re about?” Nathan didn’t answer. “They’re about me, aren’t they? Losing me.”

“That night, watching you bleed on the floor, I -” Nathan shook his head. “I can’t do that again. I can’t do that I can’t lose you.”

Gabriel leaned forward and kissed him deeply on the lips. “You’re not going to lose me,” he said. “Not that I don’t appreciate all of the care you’ve given me over the past months. I’m much better now.” He then moved, and gently settled himself in between Nathan’s legs, slowly moving his hands up his body. “Much better.” With that, he leaned down and kissed him. It was Nathan’s turn, though, and he flipped Gabriel on his back kissing him, running his hands along his body before slowly thrusting inside him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nathan and Gabriel stayed there. Gabriel loved the area. They would spend their days, running, hunting, climbing… Gabriel always liked to show off. While it was annoying, and he always liked to tell him so, he also really enjoyed watching him. He was so gorgeous, just how he moved, everything he did… Nathan couldn’t believe that he could ever have loved anyone as much as he loved Gabriel. He didn’t think he deserved his love, but he never doubted it for a second. They made love every night, and Nathan never tired of feeling their bodies joined together.

Arran and Adele came by frequently. Nathan was glad that they were happy together. Things in the world now weren’t perfect, but they were getting better. Nathan often didn’t pay much attention to what was going outside his little world with just him and Gabriel. He didn’t use his powers anymore. Gabriel understood why; he had never to explain to him though his lover did get enjoyment out of seeing him make a fire with matches instead of his fire.

They greeted them pleasantly. Gabriel gave them both a kiss on the cheek. They had made small talk before Arran told them the real reason he had come. “Annalise wants to speak to you,” he said. Gabriel stiffened next to him.

“I told you before; I don’t want to see her or talk to her,” Nathan said.

“I know that, but I promised her I would give you this.” It was a letter.

“I don’t care.” He shoved it back at Arran.

“You have a son.”

Nathan’s heart skipped a beat, and Gabriel was silent next to him. “What?”

“She was pregnant,” Arran told him. “It’s yours. She’s with someone now. She moved to America and met him. They’re in love, and very happy. He’s a fain, but she wants you to be a part of your child’s life. His name is Edge. She got him back after she finished her sentence. She spent a year in jail.”

Nathan couldn’t process the information, the fact that he and Annalise had a child. “I don’t know. I just - can’t -” With that, he ran off. Edge was his father’s family name, but also the name of the hill where they used to meet. It took a moment for him to realize he was being followed. He slowed down, and Gabriel kept pace with him. They had run for a while before he spoke.

“What do you want to do?” Gabriel asked as they made their way back around to where they lived.

“I don’t know,” Nathan said honestly. As they neared camp, he stopped running. “I can’t process it, that I have a kid. I just… After what happened to my father, I just…”

Gabriel stopped him and slipped his arms around him. “You’re not Marcus,” he told him.

“I know, but maybe it’s better that he’s raised by them, without me.”

“Is that what you want?”

“Are you okay with this?” Nathan asked.

Gabriel shrugged. “Am I thrilled that my lover got his ex-girlfriend pregnant, no, but that’s in the past,” he said. “I wouldn’t blame you for wanting to be a part of his life. You _should_ be. It’s not as if I’m afraid you’re going to run off and leave me.”

Nathan grabbed Gabriel and kissed him. Gabriel broke away and smiled. "If you're sure that's what you want."

~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Gabriel wanted to travel some, so they made plans to go and visit France. He also wanted to see Nesbitt in Australia. That was fine.  Nathan wasn’t worried. After all, they were together. It was just the two of them, together the way it should be. And they had all the time in the world to do anything and everything they wanted. They would always come back to this spot because it was special to both of them. There was plenty of time for everything.


	2. Chapter 2

Gabriel had gotten them train tickets to France. He made sure it was a day trip. Nathan would miss this place, but he and Gabriel promised they would come back. That was where they wanted to be, but the war had ended a year and a half ago. Gabriel had been nursed back to health, and then they had enjoyed each other’s company. They had spent their last two birthdays here. Gabriel wanted to travel, and Nathan couldn’t say that he blamed him. They wouldn’t have to worry about doing anything, just living and going at their own speed. Arran gave them some money before they left, saying it was for belated birthdays. They knew that wasn’t true, but Arran insisted.

They went to France and Switzerland. Gabriel wanted him to see the countries that he’d grown up in. They did a lot of climbing. As always, Gabriel was popular wherever they went. It never ceased to annoy Nathan, because couldn’t they all see that Gabriel _didn’t fucking care_? No, they all stared - girls, guys, it didn’t matter. It wasn’t that Nathan didn’t get it. Of course, he understood. Gabriel was gorgeous and perfect in everything he did. Why wouldn’t they stare? It didn’t mean he had to like it, though. Gabriel, meanwhile, never noticed or cared about any of the attention. The only person he had eyes for was Nathan.

After Switzerland, Gabriel wrote a letter to Nesbitt to let him know they were coming to Australia. It was the longest plane ride he’d ever been on, and it was… unpleasant to say the least. There was too much technology for too long, and the buzzing in his head was nearly unbearable. Gabriel looked after him, of course, helping him through it. Nonetheless, he was grateful when the plane ride was over. Once they arrived there, they did some brief sightseeing, before making their way to Nesbitt’s house via the directions that he gave them. “This has to be it,” Gabriel said. The house was unassuming, at least from the front. “This is where the directions told us to go.” They walked up to the front door, and Gabriel knocked. There were noises from behind the door before it opened and Nesbitt appeared.

“Gab! Nathan! Great to see you. Glad you made it here safe,” he said, smiling. He gave each of them a hug. It threw Nathan off a bit, but Nesbitt genuinely seemed glad to see them both. It was only then that he noticed a woman was standing behind him. “Boys, meet Barbara,” he said motioning her forward and putting his arm around her. “My fiancee. We’re getting hitched in a few months. I’d invite you, but I know neither one of you will stick around that long. Barbara, the French one with the hair is Gabri _el_. The surly, English one is Nathan.”

Nathan scowled. “Pleasure to meet you,” Nathan said, before turning to Nesbitt. “Good to see you, but fuck you.”

Gabriel greeted them both pleasantly, and they were ushered inside. It was while they were being given a tour that Nathan realized that the house was only normal from the _front._ It was revealed that Barbara was half-Black/half-Fain just like Nesbitt was, and like him, being inside at night didn’t bother her as much as it would full Blacks like Gabriel, or even Nathan. However, they did need it more open at night. Thus, there were large windows and glass doors everywhere, and the roof had been partially removed in the bedroom. It felt more like outside, though Nathan wasn’t sure a setup like this would work for either him or Gabriel. It was very clever, nonetheless.

“So, how have you two been,” Nesbitt asked as they sat down in the kitchen as he and Barbara cooked dinner. “Married yet?”

Nathan nearly choked on the water that he’d been drinking. “Fuck you.”

“Yep, mouth as bad as ever I see,” Nesbitt said, laughing, “and I’ll take that as a no.”

The comment hadn’t seemed to bother Gabriel any. “We haven’t talked about it,” he said simply from the chair next to him.

“Why not? Too busy kissing and -”

“Shut up,” Nathan said, as Gabriel just smiled. Were they supposed to do that? Should they have talked about it? They had been so busy just being _together_ , the thought of marriage had never crossed his mind. Sure, he knew that he wanted to be with Gabriel forever. He had said as much when he’d given Gabriel his father’s ring. He knew that hadn’t been a _real_ proposal, because didn’t that involve the words “Will you marry me?” or some shit like that? Nathan had no idea. He was bad at this. Surely, Gabriel knew that. Then again, his lover could have brought it up at any time over the past…. what, two years? He hadn’t.

Nathan’s head was starting to hurt.

“It just hasn’t come up,” Gabriel said. “After the war, it didn’t seem important to mention. We were already living our lives together, after all.”

“I don’t buy that,” Nesbitt said. “Barbara, you haven’t seen these two enough. They way they look at each other, always around each other. They’re attached at the hip, I tell you. You never saw one without the other, and when they _are_ separated, they’re thinking about the other. You can tell.”

Nathan needed to get out, so he made his excuses and left. It wasn’t that Nesbitt was wrong; he wasn’t. It was that he wasn’t sure if he had fucked up again or not. Should one of them have said something? Should he have said something? He had given Gabriel the ring after all. It was different with Annalise. They had only been together a few months. He had been with Gabriel for two _years_. How were these things supposed to work?

Gabriel followed him out. “Nesbitt’s just teasing,” he said.

“I know that,” Nathan said, though it was a point that they had not _officially_ been together until the night before they parted. Still, Nesbitt had seen what was going on between them before then. “That’s not why I left. I just..” He groaned, putting his face in his hands as he turned to face Gabriel, lowering his hands to speak. “I mean, should I have - should you have - should we - I mean - I’m really bad at this.”

Gabriel just smiled. “I know.”

“I just don’t know how these things are supposed to work,” Nathan said. “I mean, I gave you the ring and told you forever, but does that count? I mean, was I supposed to say something? Were you? Just - are you going to stand there and let me flounder?”

“For a bit,” Gabriel said, crossing the space between them, and wrapping his arms firmly around Nathan. This brought their bodies close together. “Yes, I knew what you meant when you gave the ring. Yes, either one of us could have brought up marriage at any time. We didn’t. There’s nothing wrong with that. We’re young. We were enjoying surviving the war, but yes… I _do_ want to marry you.”

Nathan stared at him for a moment, before leaning forward and kissing Gabriel on the lips. His lover kissed him back, deepening the kiss before Nathan broke it. “Then let’s do it.”

“Do what?”

“Get married. Let’s go.” Nathan didn’t know why he was saying this. All he knew was that the moment the idea was in his head, he just knew… He wanted to marry him, make their relationship legally binding. He wanted to be with him forever. Maybe it was rash, but that was his first thought - that he wanted to do it right then and there.

“What, right now?” Gabriel looked kind of confused, and a bit nervous.

“Yes, right now. We love each other. Let’s just find someone to perform the ceremony and get married right now,” Nathan said, looking into Gabriel’s eyes.

“Woah, slow down,” Gabriel said. “Yes, we love each other, but we can’t get married _right now._ What about our friends back in England? Your _brother_? Arran would be understanding, but you know he would be disappointed if we got married without him there, and so would our friends back there.” He paused for a second before continuing. “Once we get home, we can get married. We’ll make all the plans, but we have to wait until we do, you know that.”

Nathan sighed. He knew Gabriel was right, as he usually was about everything. “No, you’re right,” he agreed. “And I _want_ Arran to be there. I mean, he’s the only family I have left.” Well, aside from Gabriel of course. He was much his family as Arran was, and he’d be the only one of either of their families at the wedding, too.

“So, when we get back home, we’re getting married,” Gabriel said, a smile on his face again.

Nathan nodded. “Yes, we are,” he said before he kissed Gabriel again. Their arms were firmly locked around each other as they kissed, hard and long. They were only interrupted by a loud knock on the wall of the house. They stopping kissing, and Nathan loosened his grip to allow Gabriel to turn.

Nesbitt had knocked on the wall of the house and was now standing there, smirk firmly in place. “Hey, lovebirds, dinner’s ready. If you can stop kissing each other for a few minutes, you can come in and eat.”

“Fuck off,” Nathan yelled.

Nesbitt just laughed, and turned and entered the house. Gabriel kissed him one last time before following, and as Nathan went in to eat, he wondered how he had ended up so incredibly lucky.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Gabriel lay there in front of him, bleeding out from the bullet wounds from Jessica. Nathan is kneeling over him, crying and screaming at him to heal, because he can’t live without him. He loves him; he needs him. Gabriel isn’t coherent, though, and he slowly fades. Nathan stops time, but can’t stop Arran, too, and he knows Gabriel will die. There’s nothing he can do. He gives him one last kiss before time starts up again, and his lover dies in his arms. Nathan can’t handle this, and he know he’ll never accept it. He’s shaking…_

Nathan slowly woke up, and only realized then that the shaking wasn’t in his nightmare, which nowadays was always the same. It was Gabriel. He was looking worried, and kneeling next to him, shaking him awake. “Nathan,” he said. “Bad dream?” They had slept outside. Nesbitt had pointed them to a fairly secluded area, saying that they needed their ‘privacy.' Nathan had told him to fuck off.

Nathan groaned, rubbing his hands over his face before looking into Gabriel’s worried one. “Yeah.”

“Same one?”

“Yep,” Nathan said, and now he was shaking again because it was so clear. He just couldn’t. “I can’t, I just can’t -” He leaned into Gabriel, who put his arms around him.

“Shhhh,” Gabriel said, rubbing his back. “It’s just a dream.”

No, it wasn’t. It was Nathan’s fucking nightmare. “I just can’t,” he said again. “It was so close to being real. You were so weak, and there was so much blood… I can’t lose you.”

“You won’t,” Gabriel said. “I’ll never leave you, and I’ll love you forever. Always.”

“I love you, too,” Nathan said, and slowly, the fear from the nightmare faded away. “Sorry.”

“You never used to apologize,” Gabriel said. “Now you do it every time you wake me up because of a nightmare.”

“Making up for lost time, I guess,” Nathan said. After all, he never used to apologize before. God knows that Gabriel deserved it for his many fuck-ups. “I’m sure you deserve it for something.”

Gabriel laughed. “Oh, yes, I’m sure,” he said, “but now you’re that you’re awake, I can think of a much better way to pass the time.” His lover leaned down and kissed him, wiping away all of Nathan’s worries about losing him. He was right here, and he wasn’t going anywhere.

Nathan felt himself being pushed on his back, and suddenly, Gabriel’s hands were everywhere. Nathan had one hand in Gabriel’s hair, and the other was touching any part of him he could get his hands on. Gabriel had moved to straddle his hips, before kissing down Nathan’s neck, then his chest. He moaned. Gabriel moved and was kissing his lips again. Before long, Gabriel was inside him; it was perfect.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

They spent about a week or so in Australia with Nesbitt and Barbara. Barbara was nice but tough. She didn’t take any of Nesbitt’s shit, but she was also extremely patient with him, too. In a way, it sort of reminded him of him and Gabriel. They did tell them that they were getting married when they got back to England, and that they were both invited. Nathan did feel kind of guilty that they had told them first instead of Arran. Arran really should have been first, but he didn’t want to have Gabriel write him a letter. He wanted to tell him in person.

Their last night there, he and Gabriel were cuddling outside by their fire. “Any thoughts on where you want to go from here?” Gabriel asked.

Nathan shook his head. “Nope. You?”

Gabriel paused for a moment. “Yes, I did, actually, but promise you’ll hear me out.”

Nathan found that statement a bit weird. “Okay, what?”

“I think we should go to the United States.”

At first, Nathan wondered why that was weird. After all, Gabriel had lived there for a while. Then, it hit him as to reason why he wanted them to go there. “Gabriel, I never said I wanted to meet him.”

“I think you do,” he said. “I think you want to, but don’t think you should.”

Nathan thought about that for a moment. “I just… It’s like I’ve said before, I just think he would be better off.”

“How so?”

“What the fuck do I know about being a father?” Nathan asked. “I’m rude; I swear often… and a list of other faults that don’t come to mind. Edge is better off with Annalise and… whatever his name is.”

Gabriel shook his head. “I don’t believe that,” he said. “You said you’d hear me out.” Nathan stayed quiet, because…. Well, he had said that, hadn’t he? “You are _not_ your father, and don’t argue with me. Yes, I know, there is some Marcus in you, but there’s your mother, too. Maybe Marcus didn’t make a great dad, but that doesn’t mean you won’t. I also don’t think anyone knows what they’re doing at first. I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Besides, you’ll always have me.”

Nathan sat there, thinking for a moment. He couldn’t wrap his mind around having a kid. Yes, he’d seen a picture that Annalise had sent to Arran - the kid looked just like him - but he couldn’t help but feel that he would be too much like Marcus for the kid. After all, this kid was only a quarter Black. He was more White than anything else. He wasn’t sure how long they laid there in silence before Gabriel spoke. “Are you okay?”

He nodded. “Yeah, I’m just thinking, and yes, I know that’s unusual for me.” Gabriel laughed, and Nathan took a deep sigh. “Okay, let’s go see them, but that’s all I promise. I promise to meet him.” He wasn’t sure if he was going to end up regretting this or not, but… Gabriel was right. He needed to do this. “Thank you. You’re amazing, you know that?”

Gabriel smiled. “Yes, I know, but you can say that as much as you want,” he said, leaning over to kiss him.

~~~~~~~~~~

The first thing they did upon arriving in the United States was go to a beach. Gabriel had wanted to go; said it had been years since he’d been to one. They were in California, anyway, so they headed to a beach in the southern part of the state. It was an unusually warm day for this early in the year; it was only late February after all. However, the water was still a bit too cold for swimming. It was warm enough to go without your shirt, though… if you weren’t Nathan, of course.

Nathan still had tattoos that marked him as Half Code, including the large scar on his back given to him by Kieran, Annalise’s older brother. He hadn’t thought about them much over the past few years because he’d been fighting a war and living alone with Gabriel. No one he’d fought with, most especially not Gabriel, cared about the damn tattoos. He started becoming more self-conscious of them as they’d begun their traveling. His lover, of course, told him not to worry about it. He tried not to.

Gabriel was stretched out beside him, his chest bare. Nathan, of course, was still wearing his shirt. People would walk by, and it didn’t matter, both guys and girls stared at Gabriel. One glare from Nathan, though, and they kept on moving. “You should relax,” Gabriel said, and Nathan turned to see him looking up at him. He sighed, and leaned back, stretching himself out next to his lover. “See, that’s not so hard, is it? You shouldn’t pay so much attention to everyone else.”

“You notice them?” Gabriel had never acted as if he had noticed how often people stared at him.

Gabriel just shrugged. “Sure, I know I’m attractive,” he said. “I just never have paid much attention to other people staring at me. It doesn’t matter. Why are you jealous?"

“I’m not jealous,” Nathan said, defensively. “Okay, maybe I am a little. I just hate everyone staring at you, not that I blame them, but…”

Gabriel smiled, and then leaned over, kissing Nathan. He forgot about everyone else, then, the only thing that seemed to matter after that was the feeling of Gabriel’s lips on his.

After the beach, they headed up to Oregon. Apparently, there were some great climbing places there and in other places in the Northwest. They spent some time there before they moved east towards New York.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Gabriel had written Annalise at the address Arran had said was on her letters. He told her that they were coming, and the day they would be there. Gabriel told him that New York was White Witch territory, but that once they were there with Annalise and Ben, they shouldn’t have a problem. Hopefully, she lived in a Fain area with him. Nathan wasn’t worried, and it seemed like time just flew by until they were there, walking down the hallway to the apartment that she had addressed her letters from. Nathan was so nervous he could barely think straight. He was actually going to see his _son_ . He was still having trouble reconciling the fact that he had a kid, and now he was going to _meet_ him.

Nathan felt Gabriel taking his hand, and entwining their fingers. “How are you doing?”

“Nervous as fucking hell,” Nathan said, squeezing his hand, “but I’ll be okay. You don’t have to come with me, you know.”

Gabriel smiled at him. “Yes, I do.” It made this easier, having Gabriel here. He wasn’t sure he could go through with this without him.

It seemed way too quick, but they were standing in front of the door. Gabriel gave his hand a squeeze as Nathan knocked on the door with the other. He was prepared to see Annalise, but it wasn’t her that answered the door. In her place was a tall, broad-shouldered man with dirty blond hair. “You must be Nathan,” said the man, looking at him before turning to Gabriel. “And you must be Gabriel. Annalise told me you two were coming. I’m Ben, her fiance. She’s inside. Come on in.” He had a kind face, and turned, ushering them inside. They were greeted to a decent sized, but modest apartment. 

Nathan and Gabriel set their rucksacks, and shoes by the door. “She’s through there,” Ben said, pointing to an open doorway beyond the living room that they were standing in.

Annalise appeared in the doorway, and a smile was on her face. “You made it! That’s good. He’s in here,” she said, gesturing beyond her.

Nathan was still holding Gabriel’s hand tightly. He felt Gabriel squeeze his hand, and he looked over at him. He felt better knowing that he was here with him. It helped. He let go and walked towards Annalise, then past her, inside the room. He was greeted to the nursery, and there, in the middle of the floor was _him._ Edge was playing and seemingly hadn’t noticed that he had walked in. “That’s -”

“Edge, our son, yes,” Annalise said. “I tried to get ahold of you. I didn’t want to tell you in a letter, but you didn’t want to talk. I understand, and I tried to just… accept that, you know, but… You _needed_ to know about him. I mean, Ben’s been great, but _you’re_ his father. So, I tried again.”

“Yeah, I just… I don’t know. I still wasn’t even sure, but Gabriel convinced me,” Nathan said, unable to take his eyes off the toddler playing on the floor. Fuck, the kid did look _just_ like him, except for his eyes. The eyes were brighter than his.

“I admit that surprises me,” Annalise said. “I know how much he hates me. I doubt he was thrilled about this.”

Nathan smirked. “No, he wasn’t, but he’s been very understanding about it.”

Annalise smiled. “I’m happy for you two.”

Nathan blinked at her. “What?” He hadn’t realized they’d been so obvious, but then again, they had been holding hands when they came in. “Oh, yeah, right.”

“I assumed that you two were together,” Annalise explained. “The way you two held hands and looked at each other just solidified everything. Truly, I am happy for you. You _are_ happy, aren’t you?”

Nathan nodded. “Very happy,” he said, glancing back through the doorway to see Gabriel, who was politely talking to Ben. If truth be told, he was very lucky.

“I’m happy, too,” Annalise said. “Ben is wonderful. There’s so much that I can’t tell him, and he doesn’t question it.”

“That’s good,” Nathan said. “I”m happy for you.” He didn’t really know what else to say, and that seemed the proper response. He was surprised at how he felt nothing for her now. He had thought he had loved her so much, and now there was nothing there at all.

Annalise walked over to Edge and knelt down. “Edge, honey.” The toddler looked up at her. “I want you to meet someone.” She motioned for Nathan to kneel, and he did as he was told. “This is Nathan. Say hi.”

“Hi,” said the toddler before leaning against his mom.

“No, it’s okay. Nathan’s nice,” she said. “He’s an old friend of mommy’s. He wanted to meet you.”

“Yeah, hi,” he said, still trying to process the situation that he was finding himself in. There he was, though. His kid was playing on the floor. He had helped create another _life._ It was more than he could handle at the moment. He had noticed, though, that she had told the kid that he was _Nathan._ He supposed that made sense, considering he hadn’t been in the kid's life.

“Come on, honey, let’s go into the living room,” she said, standing up and holding his hand.

“He walks?” Nathan said. He wasn’t sure what was normal for a kid that age.

Annalise nodded as they walked out. “Yes, he does, not always that well. He also talks a bit, though it’s still mostly gibberish,” she said. “I know I did tell him, you know, who you were. I’m sorry about that, but… I mean, do you know if you’re going to stick around?” She looked over at him. “I don’t want him getting attached to the idea of ‘Dad’ to have you decide you don’t want to be here.”

Nathan nodded. “I figured,” he said. “I’m not offended.”

Edge was still holding a toy, and Annalise set him in the middle of the floor. “And this is Gabriel,” she said, pointing at him, who was still standing next to Ben. “Say hi.”

“Hi,” said Edge, more concentrated on his toy than anything else.

“He really does look just like you,” Gabriel said. Nathan nodded.

“Sweetie, mommy, and Ben are going to make lunch. Nathan and Gabriel will be here, and we’ll just be in the other room, okay?” Annalise said, kneeling down beside him and giving him a kiss on his cheek. After that, she stood up and looked at them. “Do you two want to stay for lunch? It’s no problem. We’d love to have you.” They agreed, staying in the living room with Edge. Gabriel convinced them to play with him. Of course, Edge took to Gabriel instantly. Nathan just felt awkward around him, as if he was afraid of what to do for fear or doing something wrong. The kid didn’t seem to mind him at all, though.

They moved into the kitchen, which had an eat-in dining room, for lunch. Ben and Annalise made small talk as Annalise helped Edge - asking how long they had been together, when was the wedding (they had spotted Gabriel’s ring), and such. Ben seemed like a nice enough guy. Gabriel was polite enough the entire time. “Look, Ben and I were talking,” Annalise said. “We had an idea, for you know if you wanted to be a part of Edge's life. And we hope you do. This is what we were thinking: He doesn’t go to school for a few years. You can’t just come here anytime you want since you’re in England, and we’re here. So, there isn’t any reason why he can’t spend a few months at a time with you. We can take him over there, and we can get someone to bring him back or get him. After he starts school, he can spend summers with you, and maybe a holiday.”

Nathan nodded, looking over at Gabriel, who nodded as well. “Yeah, that sounds good.” He immediately felt guilty - they had _no_ money. Neither of them had jobs, because, in their world, they didn’t need it. How was he supposed to help provide for a child with _nothing_ except the rucksack, the clothes on their back, and what other little things they’d left with Arran that they couldn’t take with them. “We’ll talk about it.”

Annalise nodded. After lunch, they continued a bit of small talk, which of course Nathan was always horrible at. He asked her about the name, to which she explained she thought the name symbolized a better time because of its significance to them at the time, and that maybe he would be best parts of both of them. That’s what she had hoped. He informed her that it was also his father's family name, to which she had not been aware of. She didn’t seemed bothered by that at all and said that was fine with her that it was. Annalise gave them some pictures of Edge, saying she wanted them to have them. They left. They didn’t want to stay in New York. There were too many mobile phones around, and it was driving Nathan crazy. That, and with it being White Witch territory, they moved up north. It was only once they were settled for the night that Gabriel asked what he thought.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I mean, how am I - how are we supposed to help care for a child? We live in a glade, with no house, and nothing but the clothes on our backs, the rucksacks, and whatever we left with Arran. I mean, how is a toddler supposed to - how is he - when we live like the way we do, and he lives the way he does with Annalise and Ben.”

Gabriel turned to face him. They were lying on the ground together. “Calm down, love,” he said. “We can always build a house for him if you think that’s best. I agree that’s a good idea, and while we won’t use it that much, it would be good for him. We can always see about getting some nightsmoke, or try and do something like what Nesbitt and Barbara have.” He paused for a second, before continuing. “The question is, do you _want_ to be a part of his life? If you do, we’ll make it work. If not, I’ll write her a letter, and we’ll leave for England.”

Nathan was quiet for a minute as he tried to think. He couldn’t reconcile all of his thoughts because he still believed he was going to be too much like Marcus. However, Annalise didn’t seem bothered by that. If she had been worried, she hadn’t needed to tell him about Edge. He would never have known if she hadn’t sent that letter to Arran. Gabriel also seemed to think he should. “What would you do, if it happened to you?” He asked. “Just out of curiosity.”

Gabriel smirked at him. “Well, I wouldn’t be in this situation for starters,” he said. “Girls have _never_ been my… cup of tea, you could say, and especially not _that_ girl.” Before Nathan could say anything in response, he had continued. “Yes, I know what you meant. If I had a kid, I would want to be a part of his life. I think you do, too. I think you’re scared, but you’re not doing this alone.”

Nathan sat there for a minute. “Yeah, you’re right. I guess we’ll go back and talk to Annalise and Ben.” He leaned forward and kissed Gabriel. “Thank you.”

Gabriel smiled. “Of course,” he said, kissing Nathan.

~~~~~~~~~

Nathan and Gabriel went back to Annalise and Ben’s house the next afternoon. Luckily, they were both home. She was thrilled. She explained to Edge who he really was that he was “Dad.” They stayed for a few weeks, going back frequently so that Nathan could bond with Edge. The boy seemed to take to him quickly enough, but they did have to go back to England. They agreed that Annalise and Ben would fly the kid over in a couple of months, and they would figure out how to get him back later. Nathan had no idea what she was telling Ben about why they couldn’t keep coming back, but Ben didn’t seem bothered.

After that, they headed for home. They were getting married.


	3. Chapter 3

Nathan would be glad to never be on another plane ever again. He hated travelling by plane, but there was no way it could be helped. Gabriel, as always, helped him through it, even though Nathan knew that it pained him, too. It felt good to be back in England, and even better once they made it back to their glade in Wales. It was just as they left it, completely untouched.

“It feels good to be home,” Nathan told Gabriel as they set their bags down.

“Yes, it does,” Gabriel agreed. It was getting to be late afternoon. They weren’t expecting Arran and Adele until tomorrow. Of course, Gabriel had written Arran before they had left the States. They ate again, deciding to have the wedding in a couple of months, and then laid there in each other’s arms in the dying light of the day. “You know, I think we could both use a rinse off.” His lover, his fiance, leaned over and kissed him, before dragging him up off the ground.

Nathan wrapped his arms around Gabriel and kissed him hard on the mouth. The two slowly stripped each other as they made their way to the river. They  _ did  _ manage to wash while they were in there, in between kisses and touching of course. After that, they made their way back to the dying fire. Gabriel pulled Nathan down to the ground with him, and then Nathan was on top of him. They kissed, and he slipped his tongue into Gabriel’s mouth. He felt his fiance moan underneath him. Their hands ran over each other, and they pressed together until they were fully intertwined . It was so good; he couldn’t imagine that he had ever wanted anyone else but him.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Arran and Adele came by the next day and asked about their travels. He and Gabriel told them about everything - climbing in France and Switzerland, going to see Nesbitt and his fiancee in Australia, sightseeing, and then heading over to the States. They told them about going to the beach, climbing in Oregon, and then going to see Edge.

“You went to see him?” Arran exclaimed. “I’m glad you decided to.”

Nathan shrugged. “I wasn’t sure, but Gabriel convinced me,” he said. “It turned out fine. He likes me well enough, I guess.” He explained the suggestion that Annalise and Ben had come up with for allowing Nathan to see his son, and Arran agreed it was a good idea. “After that, we came home.”

“We have something to tell you, too,” Arran said, smiling as he looked over at his girlfriend of two years - or had it been over two years now? He couldn’t remember. He did know that they had gotten together right after he and Gabriel had. “We’re getting married. We didn’t know when you’d be back, and we wanted both of you to be there, so it’s not for another four months or so.”

“About time,” Nathan said right as Gabriel said, “Congratulations.” They hugged, and then Nathan said, without thinking, “So, we’re getting married before you then.” It had been meant more to himself than anything, and he hadn’t meant to say it like that. Of course, they had been going to tell them about it.

Gabriel just put his face in one of his hands and laughed a bit. “You know, there are better ways to say it than that.”   


Nathan shrugged. “It just slipped out.”

Of course, Arran and Adele were both thrilled and congratulated them as they hugged them. “When did you two decide this?” Arran asked. Nathan explained how the conversation had come up while they’d been with Nesbitt. “So, you have a kid before me,  _ and  _ you’re getting married before me?” Arran smiled at him. “I’m the older brother. Aren’t I supposed to do things first?”

Gabriel chuckled, and Nathan just shrugged. “Hey, not my fault you’re slow.” Arran gave him a playful shove on his shoulder, and after that, the conversation turned to their impending nuptials. Arran and Adele told them what they had decided to do, and of course, that lead into discussions about what he and Gabriel were going to do. Ideas were tossed around, but they agreed to have it here - this place was important to them. They also agreed to build a house for Edge. They had a couple of months to do it before Annalise dropped him off. They also agreed that Celia would perform the ceremony. They wanted someone they knew to do it instead of a stranger, and she was the Head of the Joint Witch Council, so she was more than qualified to perform it. She had also been Nathan’s guardian.

Arran and Adele stayed for a while but eventually left leaving Gabriel and Nathan alone. His fiance started to work on plans for the house that he discussed with Arran and Adele. That was a bit above Nathan’s head, so he just watched him work. All he could think about was that they were going to get married. Gabriel had actually agreed to marry him.

~~~~~~~~~

Their list of people that they wanted to come to their wedding was rather short. Celia had agreed to perform the ceremony. Obviously, Arran and Adele would be there. They invited Greatorex, and Nesbitt and Barbara, who had to come all the way from Australia. Nesbitt wrote back saying that they’d be there. They were going to use it as a honeymoon because Barbara had never been out of Australia before. Anyone else they wanted to invite was dead - Ellen, Van, Marcus. Nathan was sure that Gabriel would want his sister to be there, but she was dead, too, and he didn’t speak to his father.

Gabriel refused to buy a new ring for the ceremony because the one he wore was special to both of them. He did, however, buy Nathan one. He wasn’t going to give it to him, but it was hard to hide things from each other when they lived together, and… well, you had nowhere to hide anything. Gabriel was wearing his ring, so Nathan would wear his. Gabriel said he would wait until either the house was done or right before the wedding to buy their clothes. Neither of them had anything to wear to a wedding ceremony.

They spent most of their time building the house, once Gabriel had figured out what he wanted to do with it. There was no electricity out here, but if they needed power, there was always a propane tank. They weren’t sure they needed it, though, but it was an option. They discussed the rooms that that they needed to have, and settled on three bedrooms. One would be for them, of course, and one for Edge. Most of the rooms would have partially removed roofs and walls, like at Nesbitt and Barbara’s house. They also talked to Arran about getting them nightsmoke, because they would need it when Edge came to stay with them.

Nathan and Gabriel spent most of their time leading up to their wedding on making the house. They wanted it done before Edge got here, which should be a couple of days before they got married. They spent all their days getting the house together until the light started to die. After that, they would cuddle by the fire after eating dinner, and then make love before going to sleep. Life was good, and with Gabriel by his side, things could only get better.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sure enough, two days before the wedding Annalise came with Edge. She was carrying two bags stuffed full of his things. Honestly, it looked like enough stuff for  _ six  _ months, not just the three that he was spending with him. Annalise greeted both of them warmly, Edge in tow. The boy broke free of his mother, running up to Nathan. He scooped up his son, hugging him tightly. He shouldn’t be surprised, but he had missed him. He hadn’t realized how much until just now, holding onto him. It would be a lot easier if he lived in the States; he could see him a lot more, but he had no interest in living there. This was home; he and Gabriel had no doubt about that. Annalise and Ben had no interest in moving to England. So things were the way they were.

Nathan set Edge down, and the toddler went straight to Gabriel, who had been standing next to him. He proclaimed, “Uncle Gabby” as he was scooped up into Gabriel’s arms. Edge, of course, couldn’t say “Gabriel” just yet. Nathan took that time to go over and talk to Annalise.

“How was the flight?” he asked her.

She shrugged and smiled. “Good,” she said. “Long time. Even longer I’d imagine for you and Gabriel.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t pleasant with a toddler.”

Annalise laughed. “That’s true enough,” she said. “He gets squirmy after a while.” She looked behind him, to where Gabriel and Edge were, and the house. “That’s a nice house.”

“Yeah, we just finished it a couple days ago,” he said. They had been putting the finishing touches on it. Arran had helped them get what they couldn’t build - most of the furniture they could, but some things - window panes, fixtures, and mattresses, among others - they couldn’t .

Annalise’s eyes widened. “You  _ built  _ it?” She was clearly impressed.

Nathan nodded. “It was mostly Gabriel, and we had some help from Arran, but yeah, we did,” he told her. “We wanted to have it for Edge for when he came. Worked every day on it, but we’re done.” He looked back. He was proud of what they had accomplished.

Annalise smiled. “It’s great,” she said. “Anyway, here, I brought everything I could think of. This bag is all his necessities - diapers, biodegradable of course just like you requested. Er, his favorite books, his favorite toys, you know…” She handed it over. “This bag is all of his clothes.” She handed it over. “And this bag,” she said, swinging a big around that he hadn’t noticed. “Is extra stuff that you can keep for him. That way, he can have stuff here. Obviously, he’ll grow out of clothes by the time he’s over here next year, but… Here.” She handed it over. Nathan took all the bags with a smile. “He likes having a bedtime story before bed, so make sure you ask Gabriel to do that -”

“Annalise -”

“His bedtime is eight. He needs a routine and -”

“Annalise -”

“And make sure to-”

“Annalise!” Nathan yelled, and she finally stopped talking. “We got it.” He smiled at her, trying to reassure her.

“Oh, I know you do, it’s just… I’ve never been away from him except when I’m at work,” she said. “But yeah, you’ll be fine. If you need us, I have our number in the bag, so call us, or have Arran call us. Write us or call us when you’re ready to go. Ben and I can’t come back, but if we need to, that’s fine.”

Nathan nodded. “We’ll figure something out.”

Annalise nodded. “I know,” she said. “You’ll be fine.” She took a deep breath. “Okay, Ben’s back at the hotel. I should go.” She looked past him. “Edge, honey, come and say goodbye to mummy.” Nathan looked back, and saw Gabriel release the toddler, who ran to his mother. She scooped him up, and spent a few minutes hugging him. He squirmed a bit and she set him down. “Now, you be good for your daddy and Uncle Gabriel, okay?” He nodded. She gave him a kiss, and then sent him to Nathan. She said her goodbyes, and then left

Nathan picked up the three bags of stuff that Annalise had bought while Edge ran back over to Gabriel. “What are all those?” Gabriel asked.

“Everything we could ever possibly need and more,” Nathan answered.

Edge seemed to enjoy being outside so much, but it was clear that he wasn’t used to it. He expected after a bit to be told to go inside. He got excited when Nathan told him that they weren’t going inside, that he could stay out here. Even though he was young, Nathan took that as a good sign. They put him to bed, and then they went to bed themselves.

~~~~~~~~~~

Celia came by the next day. They needed to finalize the details for the wedding. The first thing she commented on was the house. Nathan and Gabriel informed her that they had built it for Edge, who was playing with one of his toys on the ground nearby. The second thing she commented on was Edge himself. “That must be your son,” she said. “He looks  _ just  _ like you.” Nathan nodded. He was well aware - except for his eyes. They were brighter than his.

They made some small talk. Nathan and Gabriel told her about the idea that Annalise and Ben had come up with for visitation. She talked to them about her job leading the Joint Witch Council - well, what she could tell them anyway. They told her all about their travels that they had gotten back from a couple months ago. They asked about Greatorex. She had visited last year with some trainees, but they hadn’t seen her since. She was the leader of the Hunters now. Both her and Celia were very busy.

Celia asked how they were adjusting to being parents now. Gabriel just laughed and said that they were adjusting. It was hard having a toddler around all the time - no alone time for one thing unless he was asleep, and for another he never stopped moving unless he was eating or sleeping. He seemed to have a never ending amount of energy. The toddler in question was now running around, giggling. He seemed to enjoy having so much freedom, and Nathan wondered how he would adjust to going back to the way things were at Annalise and Ben’s when he was set back there in a few months.

After that, they talked about the wedding. Celia said she was honoured to perform the ceremony. She made sure that they knew they needed their rings. She also said that they’d need a rope or tie of some sort, as well as a knife. She said it was important that it was  _ one  _ knife. It had to be the same knife that they used. Then, she asked them if there were  any alterations they wanted to make, saying that sometimes people liked to individualize things, like their vows.

Nathan looked at Gabriel. If anyone would want to do that, it would be him. He just turned to him and smiled before looking back at Celia. “No, tradition is fine,” he said. “It’s the act that matters, after all.” He couldn’t agree more, and was glad that his lover didn’t want to do personal vows. Gabriel would be brilliant at them, but Nathan… well, he was well aware that talking in and of itself wasn’t one of strong points.

The conversation turned back towards other things, and Celia left. That night, Nathan laid awake in bed for a bit, in disbelief that he was actually getting married tomorrow.

~~~~~~~~~~

Nathan wasn’t sure how you were supposed to feel getting married. Some, he supposed, were nervous. Others, were  excited, and some probably felt somewhere in between. If anything, he felt anxious. Now that the day was here, he just wanted to be  _ married  _ already. There was no doubt in his mind that Gabriel was the only for him, and that he wanted to marry him, so he was not nervous in the slightest. They had already been together for over two years, so he wasn’t excited either. This was just legally binding what was already between them

Of course, he and Gabriel explained to Edge as best as they could what was going on. He already knew about Annalise and Ben, so it was easy enough.

People started arriving a couple hours before. The first to arrive were Arran and Adele. Nathan introduced Edge to them. Nathan and Gabriel too that time to go and change quickly. Their nice clothes for the ceremony had been hung in the closet. Gabriel had gotten them a couple of days ago for them. They both changed in the room. They both had black trousers , but Gabriel’s button-up shirt was white, while he had chosen black for Nathan.

Nathan turned to face Gabriel, and his breath hitched in his throat. He just stared , unable to take his eyes off him. Gabriel turned towards him and smiled, a smile that said a lot more than words ever would. “Hmm, see something you like?”

‘Fuck yes,” Nathan said, grabbing him and kissing him. Gabriel was just so fucking beautiful. He couldn’t believe that this amazing, gorgeous creature in his arms, kissing him back, had actually agreed to marry him.

~~~~~~~~~~

Once everyone had arrived, they started the ceremony. Nathan and Gabriel stood facing each other in front of Celia, holding hands. Everyone else stood behind them. Celia waited for a moment, before clearing her throat and beginning to speak. “Welcome to all! We are gathered here today to witness one of the greatest moments in life - to give recognition and witness to the union of Nathan Byrne and Gabriel Boutin. We have all come here today to share in this wonderful event. I am honoured to be performing the ceremony today.”

They had set up a table next to her, which held the knife that they were going to use - it was the knife that Gabriel had give him. It was special to both of them. Also sitting there were the rings, and the rope that they were going to use. Nathan felt a sense of nervousness wash over him. Not because he was having cold feet or doubts or whatever, but because he didn’t want to fuck this up. He wanted everything to go perfectly, not for him, but for Gabriel. He deserved that. He deserved a lot more.

Celia picked up the rope. “The rope symbolizes the lives you have chosen to lead together. Where once your lives were separated, by the rope binding your hands, you are being joined together as one.” She motioned for the knife, and Nathan picked it up. “The act of cutting your hand and binding them together further symbolizes the joining of you two as not two people with two lives, but as one body, one soul, one life. Now, cut your right hand, and quickly hand it over. Once complete, quickly press your palms together, and do not move them.”

They knew this hand to be done quickly, because both Nathan and Gabriel would heal fast. He put the knife in his left hand, and put a deep cut across the palm of his left, quickly handing it to Gabriel. His lover repeated the action, and they quickly pressed their palms together, entwining their fingers. He met Gabriel’s eyes, who smiled at him.

“Now, repeat after me, Nathan.” Nathan nodded, and repeated each word after Celia.

“I, Nathan Byrne, hereby take you, Gabriel Boutin, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, to love and to cherish, until death do us part. This my vow to you.” Tears were stinging the edges of Gabriel’s eyes, and Nathan knew that they were in his, too. Celia smiled and turned to Gabriel.

“Now, repeat after me, Gabriel.” Gabriel nodded.

“I, Gabriel Boutin, hereby take you, Nathan Byrne, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, to love and to cherish, until death do us part. This my vow to you.” Some words went unsaid between them, because they both knew that not even death would separate them. That’s what Gabriel had always told him - always.

Nathan took a deep breath as Celia untied their hands. “As it is, you cannot always be physically joined,” she said. “The rings are thus a symbol of that connection. It is a reminder of your union, and of the devotion you two have to each other.” She motioned for the rings. The one that Gabriel had gotten him, one that was similar in size and shape to his father’s ring that he had given to Gabriel. The two rings matched pretty well. He picked it up Gabriel’s ring and Gabriel picked up his.

“You hold now the rings that you will exchange with each other.  You are giving the symbol of your love for each other, which like the rings, has no beginning or end,” Celia said. “As you understand this, and wish to affirm your love and commitment, please slip the ring on each other’s finger and say the words, ‘With this ring, I thee wed.’”

Nathan slipped the ring on Gabriel’s hand, and said, “With this ring, I thee wed.” HIs voice was shaking a bit.

Gabriel let out a breath, and slipped the ring on Nathan’s hand. “With this ring, I thee wed.” His voice shook a bit, too.

“It now gives me great pleasure to pronounce you legally wed,” Celia said. “You may kiss.” Gabriel grabbed him almost before she had finished speaking. Nathan slipped his arms around as everyone cheered, and kissed his  _ husband  _ back with an equal amount of passion.

They were  _ married. _

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everyone stuck around as they celebrated. Slowly, everyone started to leave, except for Nesbitt and Barbara, who announced during the party that they were expecting their first child. Since they had come all the way from Australia, Nathan and Gabriel said they could stay with them. They had put an extra room on the house, just in case, so they offered it to them.

That night, they had just lay down in bed when Nathan just looked over, and stared at Gabriel for a moment. He leaned forward and kissed him firmly on the lips. Gabriel’s lips eagerly parted as he kissed him back. “Hmm, what was that for?” his new husband asked.

“I can’t believe you actually agreed to marry me,” Nathan said, the words out of his mouth before he could stop them.

Gabriel chuckled, pushing Nathan down on his back. He straddled his hips, and kissed him deeply. Nathan wrapped his arms around him. Slowly, they stripped each other and Gabriel got back into his position straddling Nathan’s hips. Their hands roamed each other’s bodies. By now, they knew every kiss, every touch that would make the other moan and beg. Gabriel changed positions, and spread Nathan’s legs, kissing and touching every inch of his husband’s body before slowly sliding inside him. As it always, it was perfect.

Later, when they were ready to sleep, Nathan wrapped his arms around Gabriel. “I love you.”

“I know,” Gabriel said, sleepy amusement in his voice. “I love you, too.”

This was it. The happy ending that he thought for a while would never come. This was everything he wanted, everything he needed. His son was sleeping peacefully in the next room, and he was going to sleep with his husband his arms. He couldn’t think of anything else that would make this moment any more perfect than it already was. He didn’t need anything else.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who read this short little story. :) This is the final chapter. I hope you enjoy it!

Nathan loved having Edge around, about as much if not more than he enjoyed being married. It was nice waking up in the morning knowing that Gabriel had actually agreed to marry him. They didn’t go anywhere, preferring to stay in the little glade that was their home. They would only take him into town so that he could talk to his mother. Nathan knew that if Annalise didn’t hear from them, she might not want Edge to come back, so they would go to town so that he could call her and talk to her. It was clear that they missed each other, but that was only natural.

As the next few months went on, Nathan knew that he didn’t want Edge to go home. But he also knew the toddler couldn’t stay here. He had to let his son go back to his mother. Arran and Adele agreed to take him back to Annalise after their wedding. They would use it as a vacation, and see the States. He and Gabriel talked to them about what they’d seen on their trip as they prepared where to go.

Arran and Adele’s wedding was in late summer, and it was clear during it how happy the two were together. Afterward, it was only a couple of days when they came to get Edge. He and Gabriel had the toddler fully packed. Nathan held onto him a bit too long, not wanting to see Edge go. He wasn’t sure exactly when he would be coming back, though Annalise had promised that she would send him back. It was hard to watch him leave, though. He considered going to the airport, but he almost thought that would be harder than letting him leave with Arran and Adele.

A couple of days afterward, he got a letter from Annalise. Gabriel said that Edge had arrived safely, and said that she’d send him back after the new year. Personally, it couldn’t come soon enough.

~~~~~~~~~

The first few years were the same. A child under five couldn’t travel alone, but Arran and Adele were more than willing to help their nephew see Nathan and Gabriel when it was necessary. Two times a year, he would come to visit, and each time, it got harder and harder to allow him to leave. Gabriel would help him with any lessons he’d been doing at home, leaving Nathan to feel more helpless. He was sure that soon enough, his son would read and write better than he could.

And then, Edge’s fifth birthday rolled around. He spent it in Wales, with him and Gabriel. It was hard, though, because things would be changing. He was starting kindergarten in a few weeks. He had already talked about it with Annalise, who’d come to drop him off. They’d agreed on summer and Christmas. It was a longer holiday, after all, and thus it made sense with the long travel time from New York. It would be that way until he stopped school.

This entire thing made Nathan wonder. What would his son be like? Would he turn out more like him, more Black? If so, school wouldn’t be fun for him, just like how it had been for him. Or would he turn out more like Annalise, who had always been good at school? It was hard for him and Gabriel to let him go that time, just as it was every time Edge left.

“Don’t worry, I’ll see you for Christmas,” Nathan said as  Edge hugged him goodbye as Annalise came to got him.

“I know, Dad,” Edge said before he turned and hugged Gabriel. “You, too, Uncle Gabby.” He was still calling him that, though he had been able to say Gabriel for years, and probably always would. Gabriel said it annoyed him, but Nathan knew that it didn’t bother him as much as he said it did.

“Just think, it’s almost the same amount of time as he’s usually away,” Gabriel told him that night as they cuddled by the fire.

“Yes, I know, but think about after that,” Nathan pointed out. “He’ll be gone for like six months.”

Gabriel leaned over and kissed him. “I know. I miss him, too, and I know he misses you, too. He’ll be fine. We’ll be fine.” Nathan nodded, as he leaned over and kissed his husband as Gabriel moved on top of him. Yes, they would be fine.

~~~~~~~~~

Nathan woke up in a sweat, shaking from the nightmare. Gabriel’s hands were on him, soothing him as he whispered to him, trying to calm him down. “It’s okay, love,” he said. “It wasn’t real.” Nathan laid back down on the bed, trying to calm his rapid breathing. Gabriel laid down beside him, rubbing his chest.

“Sorry I woke you up,” Nathan said.

“It’s okay,” Gabriel said, smiling. The nightmares didn’t come as often, but he still had them from time to time. Now, of course, it wasn’t Gabriel that was dying his dreams. His son was in them, too. His husband was still more frequent since that was something that had almost happened, but Edge had been in his nightmares more and more since he had come into his life.

At that moment, the bedroom door opened. “Dad, Gabby? Everything okay?” Edge, who was now ten years old, stood there nervously in the doorway.

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” Nathan said, trying to force to flat tone out of his voice. He didn’t want to worry him. This, however, wasn’t the first time Edge had been woken up by the nightmare. Tonight, they were sleeping inside because it was raining. It wasn’t unusual for them to sleep outside, and it was easier for him to wake up his son then.

“Don’t worry, everything is good,” Gabriel said, smiling at Edge. “Go back to bed.” Edge nodded, and moved from the doorway, closing the door behind him. They waited for the footsteps to die off. “We are going to have to talk to him about it eventually. He’s getting. He’s starting to wonder about all things you and I - and Annalise - are not telling him.”

Nathan nodded. “I know.” He turned on his side to face his husband. “It’s just… how do you explain all of that to a child?”

“None of us were that much older than him when we all went through it,” Gabriel pointed out. “I’m not saying right now, but eventually…. We will  _ all  _ have to talk to him about it, at least to some degree. Have you mentioned any of this to Annalise?”

Nathan nodded. “Yeah, a bit,” he said. “She said she’s mentioned that we all went through a war and that it was horrible. She said she’s been pretty vague though on exactly what that meant. I just don’t know how to explain my nightmares, except what I’ve already said - that some bad things happened, and sometimes they come out in my nightmares.”

Gabriel leaned over and kissed Nathan. “For now, that’s fine, I think,” he said. “Eventually, though, you and Annalise will both have to come to terms with the fact that it might not be enough information for him. He’ll want to know about our pasts, and while none of us are thrilled with going there, we can’t blame the boy for wanting to know.”

Nathan nodded, returning the kiss. “You’re right.” Edge was a good kid, a bit moody from time to time, but he was intelligent, kind, thoughtful… He truly was the best of both him and Annalise, with some of Gabriel and Ben, too, he was sure. He didn’t want to ruin that with talk of the past, but Gabriel was right. It was a part of them, and they would need to tell him something at some point.

“Of course. I’m always right.”

Nathan chuckled, and it was soon after that the two of them fell asleep again.

~~~~~~~~~~

Nathan and Gabriel treasured the holidays they had with Edge. It got harder and harder to let him leave. By the summer that he turned fourteen, there was already talk of a girl. “He’s too young for a girl,” he whispered to Gabriel one night as they cuddled together outside by the fire.

“Actually, he’s not,” Gabriel responded. “He’s almost fourteen. That’s perfectly normal.” It was always moving too fast for Nathan, however. Yes, Edge spent all summer and Christmas with him, but it still seemed like he never saw him. Every time he did, his son was always changing a lot - older, taller, and looking more like him every time he saw him. Except for the eyes, of course. “You’re just saying that because it’s hard for any parent to see that their child is growing older.”

Nathan knew that Gabriel was right, and of course, he asked about the girl, whose name was Elizabeth. She was a White Witch.  _ Of course she is,  _ he thought to himself, figuring that only made sense after he had fallen for Annalise at his age. Edge also complained about living with his mom and step-dad. He was starting to dislike being inside more and more, and no one there understood that. He didn’t get sick to the degree that Gabriel and Nathan did, but at times, it did make him uncomfortable. He was also having issues in school, as technology gave him problems as well., it was clear that there was some Black Witch in him.

That summer, they took Edge to France and Switzerland, something they had always planned to do. Edge had always loved climbing, and he seemed to enjoy going with them. He also learned some French from Gabriel, though his knowledge was only basic. Nathan was glad that his son was smarter than him, because the only words he could say in French were “Bonjour”, “Je t’aime”, and “Au Revoir.” No matter how much Gabriel tried, nothing else would stick. Edge was a better writer and reader than him, too, and had been for years. That was okay. Nathan had long since come to terms with that.

As the summer came to an end and they planned to send Edge back on a plane back to the States, his son seemed reluctant to leave. “Can’t I stay here with you and Gabriel, Dad?”

“You have to go back to your Mom and Ben, and finish school,” Nathan said. “There are no schools near here.”

“I hate school,” he said, “and I don’t like living there.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re there year round and only here for a short while,” Gabriel said.

“If you want, we can look into it,” Nathan said, however they lived out in the middle of nowhere. If Edge wanted to go to school, he had to stay with Annalise. “If you still feel this way later, you can always move here after you finish school.” After all, he would be an adult that summer, so nothing could stop him. He loved that Edge wanted to come and live with him, but things were better this way. He may have not have been smart enough to finish school, but Edge was. He wanted him to finish, not quit because he felt he’d be better off here.

~~~~~~~~~~

The next summer, Nathan was sitting around the fire one night. Gabriel was sitting next to him, as he always was. Edge sat on the other side of the fire. “Dad, Gabriel? Can I talk to you two about something?”

Nathan glanced over at his husband, who returned the glance before they turned back to Edge. “Sure, what about?” He had a feeling that he knew what this was about. It was something that he and Gabriel had both talked about at length. They knew it was coming. He was still young, and there were still certain things that he didn’t want to tell his son. However, Nathan knew that he couldn’t ignore it completely anymore. Edge was older now.

Edge was quiet for a second before he started to speak. “I talked to Mom, before I came here,” he said. “I know that there was a war here in England before. You’ve both said that before, but neither of you talk about it. That’s why you both have nightmares. She said she did something, something horrible, and spent a year in jail. She said I was born in jail, and that her father took care of me.”

Nathan nodded as Gabriel sat quietly next to him. “Yes, all that is true.” He felt himself tense a bit, glad that Annalise didn’t tell him what she did. He doubted Annalise wanted to talk about it. He didn’t want to either. He didn’t mind talking about other aspects of the war. Just not  _ that.  _ Gabriel reached over and put a calming hand on his arm.

“She said that was the reason that the two of you broke up, but that she doesn’t think you two would have lasted anyway,” Edge continued. He didn’t say the words in the sense that he wished they were together. Nathan and Annalise had never been together. Edge had grown up with Gabriel and Ben, but his son spoke in the sense that this is what he was told and that was all.

“She’s right about that, too,” he said.

“That’s all she said.” Edge shrugged. “I just… I wanted to talk to you about it. What happened? Like, you’ve mentioned the war, so has Gabriel, but… That’s it. What else happened?”

“Well, you know what the war was about, we talked about that.” Nathan and Gabriel had mentioned what it was about, and they knew that Annalise had, too. It seemed that all of them had glossed over their parts in the war. They feared at the time that he was too young, but as he got older, they knew that they couldn’t shield Edge forever. “Gabriel and I had important parts in it, in trying to get control away from the White Witch Council to the more equal council that we have now. Your mother came in a bit later, but what she said was true.”

Gabriel was silent beside him, but Edge spoke up. “What did she do?”

Nathan glanced at Gabriel again, who decided to answer for him. “She did exactly what she said,” he answered. “That’s for her to tell you, and if she doesn’t want to, that’s fine. It doesn’t matter anymore. The only thing that does matter is that she paid her dues for it.”

“She’d moved on, we all have,” Nathan said. “We’ve all done things that we regret.” He didn’t think that he would ever tell the extent of what he did during the war, the number  of people he killed. That was something that he never planned on telling him.

“Like what?”

“Nothing that we plan on telling you,” Gabriel said, which only caused Edge to groan. “The past is the past. We were in a war, and in a war people do what they have to in order to survive.”

“You mean you’ve killed people,” Edge said, but that statement was met with only silence. “Oh, come on, I’m fifteen… Neither of you were much older than me.”

“That’s true, but times were different,” Nathan said. “There are things that we might never tell you. Things that we don’t talk about, even now. Maybe in a few years we’ll sit down, but right now, this is as far as the conversation is going to go.”

“Okay, fine…” Edge said. “I get it was bad. It’s not like I’m going to glamorize it or something. You and Mom both have nightmares because of it. I guess I was just, wanting more information about your pasts. Uncle Arran and Aunt Adele don’t talk about it, either.” Nathan wasn’t sure how much information was necessary, but maybe one day he would go into a bit more detail with his son about what went on. “I want to know what was so horrible that you have nightmares about it so long after it happened. People trying to kill you? You killing people?”

“I’ll say your Mother’s nightmares are about what she did, but that’s all I’ll say,” Nathan said. “Mine aren’t about any of that, though I’m not saying that none of that bothers me. My nightmares are about losing Gabriel.” Edge looked confused, so Nathan continued. “In the final battle, he got hurt. I tried to protect him, but he ended up getting shot. He bled a lot, and nearly died. Arran managed to save him. He was weak for a while, but he survived.”

“So… you dream about what would have happened if Uncle Arran hadn’t saved him?”

Nathan nodded, as he felt Gabriel’s hand squeeze his own. “Yes, most of the time I relive that night. I do have nightmares about other things from time to time, but that is the main one that has stuck with me.”

Edge nodded, and the conversation died down after that. Later on, after Edge had fallen asleep, Nathan and Gabriel were laying together on the ground as the fire was beginning to die. Gabriel drew him into a deep, lingering kiss. “Hmm, what was the for?” Nathan asked.

Gabriel just smiled at him. “Do I need a reason?” he asked. “I thought you handled that conversation about the war rather well. I thought I would need to step in a bit more if it came up again, but you did well.”

Nathan smiled at him. “I’m not sure that’s going to be enough, and I don’t blame him for wanting to know more.”

“For now, I think it’ll do,” Gabriel said as he kissed him again before they both drifted off.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The next summer, with Edge’s seventeenth birthday coming up in a year, there was a lot of talk about what Edge wanted to do for his seventeenth. “Mom offered to do the ceremony,” Edge said. 

Nathan nodded. “If you want her to do it, then that’s fine with me,” he said. Due to the way he’d misused his own powers, he was nervous about his son discovering his own. What would it be? Invisibility like Annalise? His own ability to change into animals, like his father? Healing or potion making? Both of those were in their family, as well.

“I want you to do it, Dad,” Edge said.

Nathan hesitated for a second. “Sure,” he said. “If that’s what you want, I’d love to.” He gave his son a smile.

Edge smiled back. “Great. You don’t think Mom will be upset, do you?”

Nathan shook his head. “No, she’ll understand.” They had already discussed who Edge wanted to be there. His mom, obviously, aside from Nathan and Gabriel. Of course, he wanted Arran and Adele and his cousins there, too. Nathan and Gabriel had volunteered to go back to the States, but Edge had said that he wanted it to be here in Wales.

“Don’t be nervous,” Gabriel told him later.

“I’m not,” Nathan quickly responded.

“Yes, you are,” his husband said, smirking at him. “He wants you to do it. That’s huge. Don’t be nervous. Everything else will work itself out.” Nathan’s own had been… unorthodox and rushed, but he was more nervous about wondering what power his son would get. Seeing that he was still distracted, Gabriel wrapped an arm around him and drew him into a kiss.

“Seriously, get a room you two,” said Edge from his position a little way away. Gabriel and Nathan just chuckled.

~~~~~~~~~~

Nathan smiled at Edge. He had just finished performing the ceremony and watched as his son walked off to talk to his mother and friends. The group here was rather small, just family and friends. It had gone smoothly. He turned and went over to stand next to Gabriel.

“See, that went all right,” said Gabriel, wrapping an arm around him.

Nathan turned to him. “Yes, it did,” he said. “I guess I was just nervous.” Even Annalise seemed happy, as Edge finally maneuvered away from her to talk one of his friends and his girlfriend. They had come here from the States to see this ceremony. Edge looked almost exactly like he had at his age. He was making plans to move here once he graduated from High School next year. He didn’t care for school, but he could get through it. “Edge is set on moving here.”

Gabriel nodded. “Who could blame him? It’s nice here.”

“Annalise hates it.”

Gabriel smiled at him. “Of course she does. You’ve hated having him on the other side of the ocean, haven’t you?”

Of course he had, and Nathan had made sure that Annalise knew that he had influenced his decision as little as possible. Edge had his mind made up, though. “I promised him we would take him to France and Switzerland again, and spend a bit more time there this time.” They had gone there before, but because Edge never spent more than a couple months there at most, they didn’t get a whole lot of time.

“That sounds like a great idea,” Gabriel agreed. “He wants to practise his French more.”

Nathan groaned. Seventeen years together, and he could still say no more than a few words in French. He didn’t read very well either. Edge was miles smarter than him, for which he was very grateful. That was something he was glad his son had inherited from Annalise. Gabriel just chuckled, and drew Nathan into a kiss.

~~~~~~~~~

The next four months went by relatively quickly, and before Nathan knew it, it was Christmas. Edge arrived, and the first thing he wanted to do was talk about his gift. Apparently, he had discovered it a month ago or so. “I can change into animals,” he said, a smile breaking out across his face. “That’s the same gift as you, right, Dad?”

Nathan felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He wasn’t sure that he  _ wanted  _ for Edge to have the same gift. He had such trouble controlling it when he had gotten it. “That’s great,” he said. He didn’t feel like it was great. Part of him hoped that he would get Annalise’s gift, but he had known that wouldn’t happen. Edge has shown that he was, in some ways, a lot like him.

Gabriel squeezed his hand. “And your grandfather had that gift, too,” he said, not mentioning the fact that Marcus had stolen a lot of other gifts. That was something else that they had not discussed at great length with Edge yet.

Edge nodded, still pleased at having his gift. “I was wondering, Dad, if you could help me? You know, control it?”

That sinking feeling in his stomach deepened, and he felt Gabriel’s hand squeeze his tighter. He hadn’t used any of his gifts since the end of the war, not even to light fires. “Give me a second with your Dad, okay?” Gabriel said. Edge nodded, but walked off, leaving them alone. “Your son asked you for help. You need to tell him something. He knows you don’t use your gifts, but not why.”

Nathan nodded. “It’s just… Fuck, I was hoping I wouldn’t need to.”

“You had it controlled, yes?” Gabriel asked.

Nathan nodded. “Yes, but it’s different, being an animal. It doesn’t seem as if he’s used it enough to figure it out yet.”

Gabriel nodded. “Talk to him,” he said. “If you don’t want to do it, then don’t. But either way, you have to give him a proper answer.” He leaned forward and kissed him.

Nathan nodded, motioning for Edge to come back. “I’d be happy to help you, but I warn you, I haven’t used it a long time,” he said.

Edge nodded. “That’s fine. It’s just… I figured since you had the same gift, you could help me.   


Nathan smiled at him. “Yes, I’ll help you.” He felt his hand get squeezed again from Gabriel, and he dropped it and walked off with Edge. He could do this, and he needed to at least talk to Edge about what to expect if he wasn’t going to do it himself any more. He had no reason to worry. Everything had turned out fine. Nothing was perfect, but he wouldn’t change a thing.


End file.
